Hairy Vetch is a terrific nitrogen producing cover crop species. For Hairy Vetch to produce significant Nitrogen it needs to be established in adequate time to have good growth before going dormant in winter. Hairy Vetch must also be inoculated to be productive. One challenge with using Hairy Vetch is that it contains significant amounts of hard seed that will most likely germinate in future years.
Advantages of Hairy Vetch
- Tolerates lower fertility
- Can produce significant amounts of N
- Relatively easy to kill
Disadvantages of Hairy Vetch
- Hard Seed – can become a weed
- Needs 5-6 weeks good growth before winter for best results
